Press Clips

Tesla May Soon Have a Battery That Can Last a Million Miles

WIRED | September 23, 2019

Shirley Meng, who runs the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion at the UC San Diego, says many electric vehicle companies are pursuing batteries with higher nickel content than what Dahn's paper and patent describe. That approach can boost the energy density of a battery. Meng says the next step is to merge those higher-density designs with some high-performing mix of electrolytes and additives. Whether it's the formula Dahn's group perfected is an open question. Full Story

What really weakens lithium battery efficiency?

Physics World | September 6, 2019

Powering devices as small as smartphones to those as large as electric vehicles, the rechargeable battery is a familiar technology to consumers. Work in the field of battery research continues, however, as researchers struggle to improve the efficiency and longevity of rechargeable batteries. State-of-the art Li-ion batteries offer fast charging but suffer from low power density. Research has therefore focused on optimization of battery anodes, cathodes, electrolytes, and even on replacement of lithium itself with other metals like sodium. Full Story

Cause Of Lithium Metal Battery Failure May Be Solved By New Study

Inside EVs | August 27, 2019

Lithium metal batteries are a big promise. They could have twice the energy density of today's lithium-ion batteries. You know where that leads us: to EVs that weigh less and can go further. But they used to fail. Researchers from the Jacobs School of Engineering, at the University of California San Diego, believe they have found the reason. Full Story

UC San Diego researchers develop wearable cooling, heating patch

ABC 10 News | August 22, 2019

Imagine having the power to change your body's temperature at any time, regardless of how hot or cold it actually is. UC San Diego engineers are on they're way to doing just that, with a wearable patch. Like a thermostat, it can be changed to a specific temperature, warming or cooling the body, using far less energy than an air conditioning system. "Cooling is a really important issue faced by society today" said UC San Diego mechanical engineering professor Renkun Chen. Full Story

The billion-dollar race to invent a wearable air conditioner

Fast Company | August 7, 2019

As global temperatures rise and energy efficiency becomes ever more important, and a group of companies, startups, and research groups are racing to build wearable and portable devices that can act like mini A/C units, personalized just for you--whether you want to save money, regulate your health, or lessen your carbon footprint. At the University of California San Diego, mechanical engineering and materials science professor Renkun Chen and his team created a wearable patch to provide instant cooling. Full Story